


How You Remind Me

by joss80



Category: Broadchurch
Genre: F/M, Rated M for later Chapters
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2017-11-18
Updated: 2018-01-04
Packaged: 2019-02-03 18:41:23
Rating: Mature
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 4
Words: 12,845
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/12753951
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/joss80/pseuds/joss80
Summary: Events at an innocent dinner sends sparks flying between Alec and Ellie.





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> Rated M for later chapters. Enjoy :)

Ellie Miller looked at the words and photographs on the page for what must have been the sixth time, concentrating so hard that her eyes blurred and she had to squeeze them tightly together to try and clear them.

It was late, and this was hard work. _So bloody hard_. She had tried putting all the pieces together already and it had fallen apart. She knew she needed to pay more attention to the specifics, knew that only precision and a keen eye would help her take this all the way to its conclusion.

_Screw it._

With a big sigh, she tossed her copy of “Baking for Dummies” over her shoulder and cringed slightly as she heard it bounce off of the kitchen cupboards behind her. 

Who was she kidding? 10pm was no time to try to make banana bread, and an attempt at impressing Hardy with her culinary skills was a stupid idea in the first place. He could eat the store-bought stuff along with the rest of them tomorrow night, and would probably be more thankful for it anyway.

She added “dessert” to the growing list of food on the notepad next to the fridge, and sighed again. She still wasn’t really sure what had possessed her to ask him over for dinner. Maybe she felt badly for him, sitting all alone in the quiet of his white hillside house while she engaged with the alternating raucous screams of excitement and heaps of teenage angst at her place? 

Nope, definitely not it.

She smirked at that thought, envying him the solitude and amused at the idea of him trying to navigate Fred’s keenness the next evening.

He liked Fred, and Fred seemed to like him a whole lot, so at least they had that going for them. She liked him a whole lot too, and didn’t mind admitting it. He was a snarky bastard but he was one of the few blokes she’d come across, _ever_ , who actually seemed to genuinely respect her and didn’t pander to her. The fact that his quirkiness seemed to fit hers so well was something she also loved but purposefully didn’t spend much time thinking about. Some things were best left in the recesses of her mind. She was grateful for his friendship, and for his honesty, and the fact that he looked good in a suit (and would most likely show up in one like he did at their first and last ill-fated dinner) didn’t hurt either.

She returned her attention to the counter, where she dumped the contents of the mixing bowl into the rubbish bin and put the empty bowl into the sink to soak. 

It was time for bed, and to stop stressing about having Hardy over tomorrow night.

* * * * *

“Millahhhh!”

 _Fuck_. Did he not know how embarrassing it was to be summoned like that?

She stood up from her desk, stalked over to his glass-fronted man-cave, and pulled his office door closed behind her as she entered. It was just after 2pm and she watched as he pored over some case notes, seemingly oblivious to both her and the half-eaten blueberry muffin in his right hand.

She planted her palms on his desk and leaned forward, edging into his personal space such that, when he finally looked up, his brown eyes were mere inches from her stormy ones.

“What?” she half-hissed at him, and he had the decency to look slightly apologetic as he sat up straighter in his chair. She retreated, folding her arms across her chest instead to make sure he knew she was still ticked off at him.

He cleared his throat. “Can I bring anything tonight? Dessert? Wine?”

_Wine?_

She let out a breath she didn’t even know she’d been holding, and her arms fell to her side as her façade deflated. How was it possible that it was so impossible for her to stay upset at this infuriating man?

“Dessert would be great,” she responded, as something warmed inside her against her will. “I was planning on making banana bread, but that would save me some time.”

He raised an eyebrow at her.

“Oh shut up,” she fired at him, before turning to open the door. “See you at six.”

* * * * *

It wasn’t exactly a surprise when the doorbell rang at 6pm on the dot – not because she expected Hardy to be punctual, but because Fred had been yelling in excitement from his spot at the window for two minutes already at the sight of a car parking outside.

She checked on the lasagna in the oven and washed her hands quickly at the sink, then made her way to the front door. She smoothed a few stray hairs back with one hand as she opened the door with the other, and plastered a smile on her face.

A large bouquet of flowers greeted her… a _very_ large bouquet, and below it a hand grasping a bottle of wine was visible.

Her mouth morphed into a large “O” shape as the flowers announced that dessert was in the car and, “A little help, please.”

She gently gathered the flowers into her arms and Fred, who had appeared at her knees with awful timing, grabbed the bottle of wine and ran off with it.

She flashed what she hoped was an appreciative grin at Hardy, whose face had finally appeared, and turned to run after her preschooler. She missed the matching grin on his face as he made his way to his car for the rest of his stuff. A minute later he was back inside, with the door closed behind him, and he made his way towards the kitchen with a white box cradled in his hands.

He could hear Ellie in the other room, coaxing Fred into some activity or another, so he put the box on the counter and gave an appreciative sniff at the smell wafting from the oven.

“Dinner’s almost ready,” came a soft voice, as Ellie bustled into the kitchen with the flowers and newly-retrieved bottle of wine, and grabbed an opener from a drawer. He found two glasses in a cupboard above his head while she found a vase big enough to fit the bouquet, and she smiled shyly at him while he poured them each a glass.

“What?” he asked, quiet but curious.

“Just a bit strange, is all,” she said, ducking her head as he slid one glass towards her and took a drink from his own. “Us. My kitchen. Wine.”

“I thought it would set a nice contrast to all things preschooler in the house. You know, balance things out a bit?”

She watched as he took a drink, and she smiled at him this time.

“I could do with some balance.” Then, “Thank you.”

“Don’t thank me yet. I forgot to bring ice cream for the apple pie.”

“I have a preschooler and a teenager. I’m stocked with the stuff.”

“Good to know. Miller’s Ice Cream Parlour….” he mused.

“I’m only dealing in lasagna, salad, and garlic bread for the next bit, so don’t get too excited yet,” she warned jokingly, as she pulled things from the fridge.

The sounds of the front door opening and closing caused them both to look up, where they caught sight of Tom hanging up his jacket. He nodded at Hardy and smiled at his mum when he saw them watching him.

“Hi Tom. Good day?” she asked, and he nodded with another smile. “Dinner in five minutes,” she said, and turned to find Hardy pulling the garlic bread and lasagna from the oven, wearing the ridiculous rooster oven gloves her dad had given her last Christmas.

“Those suit you,” she teased with a chuckle, as she joined him at the counter to mix the salad.

He nudged her with his elbow. She nudged back. He pretended to attack her with the roosters on the gloves. She threw her hands up in defence and swatted him away.

They lapsed into an easy silence as she cut the garlic bread and he dished out the lasagna onto four plates. She could feel him there, right there next to her as their arms continued to bump against each other, and it felt good. Normal, almost.

“This is terribly domestic,” he observed, as she added the salad and he stole a crouton from the bowl. 

She didn’t have to look far, just tilted her head up a little to find his piercing brown eyes next to her. Her heart seemed to do an unconscious little leap at the sight, and she felt herself blushing. 

“It’s nice,” she admitted quietly. 

The moment stretched on, neither really knowing what to do with it, until the sound of Tom stomping down the stairs wrenched her eyes from his.

“So, ah… more wine?” she asked.

“Definitely.”

* * * * *

Dinner had gone amazingly well. Fred had insisted on sitting right next to Hardy - as in, mere centimetres away. Tom had been really interested in what it had been like living right next to a river, and had asked continuous questions about it. The food had gone down well, and only half of Fred’s portion had ended up on his clothes. She and Hardy had finished the bottle of wine too, and she felt a pleasant hazy glow surrounding her as she moved the plates from the dining room to the kitchen and watched as Hardy did the same with the rest of the items on the table.

“You really don’t need to,” she murmured as they crossed paths, even though her obviously appreciative smile said otherwise.

“Of course I do,” he shot back at her in his typical rough tone. “You’re my partner, you bloody well made me dinner… I’m not about to let you do all the tidying up as well.”

“Keep talking like that and I’ll put you to work at the sink!” she threatened with a laugh.

“I am at your service,” he said, as he dropped off the two wine glasses next to her and made an awkward and deep fake bow.

“Well, good news, it’s Tom’s job so you’re off the hook.”

She raised a hand to pat his shoulder, and he jerked up from the depths of his bow at the same time. His head caught the underside of her arm, toppling her off balance, and she grabbed at air and he grabbed at her to try to steady her. It was hopeless, but he somehow managed to get a hand under her head before she hit the ground with him on top of her.

Hardy let out a loud “Oofffffff!” as the air was pushed from his lungs.

“Fuck! That hurt!” she grimaced, her eyes closed and her mouth in a tight line.

He raised himself up on his elbows immediately at that, and lowered her head to the ground.

“You okay? Ellie?” He loomed over her, his head mere inches from hers as his right hand cupped her face and his thumb brushed against her cheek. “Ellie?”

 _Ellie._ One eye cracked open, then the other, and she blinked hard as his face swam into view above her.

“Thanks for… your hand, it… saved me.” She leaned into his touch and sighed, closing her eyes again. 

“My fault in the first place.” His thumb kept brushing against her cheek soothingly. “Do you think you’ll be okay?”

“I just need a sec, Alec,” she breathed out, and after a few moments she opened her eyes again.

He was still above her, _right_ there.

That same feeling from earlier re-appeared, the moment where time seemed to stand still… only this time around she knew what she wanted to do with it. Her eyes focused on his, and she swore he could probably _hear_ the way her pulse was thumping through her veins as she brought a hand up to cover his against her cheek. 

“Ellie.” A whisper, not a question this time, as he dropped his head ever-so-slowly towards hers.

“Mum, are you –?” Suddenly sounded out from the doorway, and they both whipped their heads sideways towards Tom’s voice. He had stopped with one foot into the kitchen, his mouth hanging open at the sight in front of him. Then he snickered, and crossed his arms in front of him with a smirk. 

“I heard a crash and, well, you’re obviously _in good hands_ , so I’ll just….” And he disappeared as quickly as he arrived.

Ellie closed her eyes again. It was kind of just easier all around that way, really.

“Okayyyy then…,” Hardy drawled, and he rested his forehead gently against hers.

“He didn’t yell at either of us. That was good,” Ellie observed.

“Yeah,” Hardy replied. She could feel his breath brush across her skin, and was suddenly acutely aware of the intimate weight of his body draped across hers. Their noses touched as Hardy shifted on top of her, and she let out a shallow breath of anticipation.

“I should probably get going.” His voice was shaky next to her ear, and when she dared to open her eyes she saw that his were still shut tight.

“Yeah, okay,” she agreed, disappointed but smiling softly at the sight nevertheless.

He pushed up and backwards swiftly, and his eyes were open and fixed on hers as he extended a hand to pull her up. She accepted, and the force of their movements brought them together, standing. 

They hovered in front of each other, and he squeezed her hand gently before letting his fingertips trail over hers until they finally parted.

“Walk me to the door?” he asked quietly, and she nodded and followed him.

There was no sign of either boy from the entryway, and Hardy stopped and took her hand tentatively once more. 

“Do you want to do something together tomorrow night? Maybe, I dunno, take a moonlit stroll or something equally cliché?”

His tone was lightly teasing, but those brown eyes were boring into hers again and it all but unravelled her right there on the spot.

“Yes.” And then, because she didn’t want to leave it at that and sound too eager, “Cliché sounds lovely.”

He smiled. “Good.”

Then he was leaning in and, a second later, warm lips pressed to hers ever so briefly before withdrawing.

“See you bright and early at work.” He squeezed her hand and let go, and with that he was gone.

Ellie shut the door and leaned back on it, breathing hard and trying to take in what had just happened over the past five minutes… or the past one minute, really. 

She reached up and touched her fingers to her lips, and grinned.


	2. Chapter 2

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thanks so much for the great feedback on the first chapter! Here's more :) I'll be trying to update every week.

Ellie Miller purposefully didn’t put any extra time than usual into her make-up or hair or anything else the next morning. She was trying to prove a point to herself, she supposed, after a night where she couldn’t seem to stop thinking about Hardy and those damn gorgeous brown eyes of his.

No, she wasn’t going to do anything differently today than she had yesterday. Indeed, the only thing different about her, by the time she had dropped both Fred and Tom off and arrived at the police station, was the small smile that kept stealing onto her lips every few seconds. She hurried down the hallways until she reached their department’s room and her desk, trying to keep the smile under control but failing miserably as she sat in her chair and dared a glance towards Hardy’s door.

It was closed.

She leaned back in her chair a bit, to get a better view through the glass, and saw him gesticulating wildly with his hands at whoever he was on the phone with. He looked angry, and she watched as he hung up the phone and let his chin rest in his hand with what appeared to be a big sigh.

Then his eyes lifted and met hers.

The corners of his mouth lifted ever-so-slightly, and she smiled back at him in what she hoped was an empathetic manner. He moved slightly, shifting in his chair. A second later, a long index finger beckoned at her, and her heart jumped in her chest. 

She stood up quickly, almost toppling from her chair and feeling as if everyone could read her less-than-platonic thoughts about Hardy as she crossed the short space from her desk to his office.

“Good morning,” he greeted her quietly, as she closed the door and slipped into the chair across the desk from him.

“Morning,” she replied, ducking her head and trying to wrench that blasted smile off of her face again. “That looked like a fun call.”

“What gave it away?” he asked, a wry smile on his lips. 

Ellie kind of got stuck there, looking at him and trying not to look at the same time, and eventually she just sighed.

“Okay, I’m a little more distracted than normal today,” she admitted openly, “so don’t make me drag it out of you – what case is it about?”

“The Thompson case and – distracted?” He was at a full-on knowing grin now, and she glared mock daggers back at him. Finally he relented. “I’m distracted too,” he confided. “The good kind.”

With that, he stood up and carried the paper file around to her side of the desk, then leaned over next to her to open it on the wooden surface. Ellie caught a whiff of an attractive sandalwood scent that she hadn’t ever noticed before and rolled her eyes even as her pulse sped up.

“Here,” he said, pointing at a portion of the statement on the page in front of her. “The timeline’s wrong. Michael told us that he visited with Sharon _before_ he picked his sister up from work, but we now have eyewitness testimony and a shopping receipt that places him at her work first.”

She leaned forward for a better look, and let her left hand rest against the side of open file as she scanned the words he was pointing at. He pulled back slightly to give her room, but his hand was noticeably slower, trailing to the side of the page and then downwards to rest subtly against hers.

Ellie felt the spark immediately, a hot tendril shooting from her fingers all the way up her arm and into the very centre of her. She took in a deep breath and gave up all pretenses of trying to read the page in front of her.

“Um, okay. So do you want me to bring him in again?” Her shoulder bumped his and he didn’t move away.

“That’d be great. I’ll grab us an interview room.” He inched impossibly closer, and brought his head down right next to hers. “Seven tonight?”

She pulled back, shocked. “What, for a bloody interview?”

“No, you nut. Can I come and _pick you up_ ,” he whispered loudly, “at seven?”

“Oh. Yes, of course,” she said quickly, blushing furiously and glad for the fact that they were facing away from the office windows. She was ridiculously aware of the way his hand was still touching hers, and it only got worse as he laced his fingers with hers and gave them a quick squeeze.

“Good.”

“You’d better stop that,” she warned, even as she squeezed back. “It’s really not helping with the, uh, distraction.”

“I know,” he responded cheekily, and with that he stood up and walked back around to his chair.

Ellie just sort of stared at him for a few moments, quite openly this time. 

“Okay, who are you and what have you done with Alec Hardy?” she finally asked, both bemused and flattered.

His face turned more serious again, but he didn’t break eye contact.

“I think,” he responded thoughtfully, “That he’s re-assessing things.”

* * * * *

The remainder of the day flew by, and the doorbell rang that evening at exactly 7pm.

Tom opened the door to a surprised-looking Hardy, who was clad in jeans and a collared shirt and holding yet another bouquet of flowers.

“Er, hi Tom,” Hardy greeted him. “Is your mum ready?”

“Coming!” sounded out from somewhere in the depths of the house, and Tom leaned in towards him conspiratorially.

“You’re acing it with the flowers, but just make sure you never buy her lilies. She’ll start sneezing like crazy.”

“Noted,” Hardy said appreciatively.

Loud footsteps sounded down the stairs, and seconds later Ellie was moving around behind Tom and trying to find her shoes. Hardy caught a glimpse of a deep red blouse with a low neckline, and drew in a sharp breath. And then she was there, kissing Tom on the cheek and marvelling at the flowers – which she passed on to Tom for safekeeping – and then he was guiding her to the car with his hand on her lower back and his heart thumping a mile a minute.

“You look beautiful,” he observed quietly, as he opened the car door for her.

“Thanks,” she said, stopping right next to him. “You look good too. Relaxed.”

“I don’t know about that. My stomach’s in knots,” he admitted with a shy smile.

“Well, that makes two of us then,” she acknowledged demurely, before sliding into the car.

He shut her door and was around to his in a few moments, and soon they were headed off in the direction of town.

“So, where to?” she asked, both nervous and curious about what he had planned for the evening.

“Well, we sort of agreed on a walk,” he noted, looking in his rearview mirror before making a left turn. “I thought we could grab something warm to drink and head towards the beach… if that sounds okay?”

“Sounds lovely.” Then she started giggling.

“What?” he asked, looking confused and a bit taken aback.

She only laughed harder.

“Is this like your crying thing, only with laughing?” he asked, looking even more perplexed as he turned the wheel again. “Really great start to a first date,” he mumbled. “Do I have something in my teeth or what?”

“No,” she gasped out, putting a hand over her mouth to try to stop things. “Normally I’d have to hit you for saying something like that but…” and she trailed off for a second, before gathering herself together, “You actually _fancy_ me. This is all just hitting me right now.” And she broke off into a burst of laughter again.

He pulled into a parking spot near a coffee shop on the outskirts of town, and shut the car off.

“Are you only just figuring this out now, Miller? Did my kissing you last night not, you know, give some suggestion of that?” he asked, with eyebrows raised.

“No, I know _that_ , silly,” she said, and she turned to push him playfully. “I just mean, after all that court shit and everything and now here we are and you _actually_ fancy me.”

“Miller….” he said, a warning tone to his voice.

“How long?” she asked, curious but teasing.

“Ellie….”

“How _long_?” she insisted, all signs of laughter suddenly gone as he drew closer. There was tense silence for a moment as she watched his lips and he watched hers.

“Since long before it was appropriate for me to have those kinds of feelings for you,” he admitted, and then he closed the gap between them and pressed his lips to hers. 

Ellie’s brain seemed to short-circuit at the knowledge of _who_ was kissing her, and at the feelings he was stirring inside her. Her eyes closed as she was drawn in, almost helpless to move as his hand lifted to the side of her face and his lips moved slowly over hers. She finally found the wherewithal to push back a bit, to explore back as her whole body seemed to light on fire from within… and then he was gone, withdrawing while keeping his hand on her cheek.

“And since the feeling is so obviously mutual,” he continued, albeit in a slightly more breathless manner than before, “I’ll thank you to cease and desist with that line of questioning.”

“Fine,” she acquiesced, her brain mostly still offline.

Five minutes later they were back in the car, hot chocolate in hand, and he turned west. She looked out the window, familiar with their surroundings but wondering where he was headed.

“There’s a nice spot ten minutes from here,” he said, as if reading her thoughts. “Quieter.”

“Less locals, you mean?” she interpreted with a knowing smile.

“Hmph,” was his only response, and she knew he’d rolled his eyes even though she couldn’t see it in the dark. 

They continued onwards, and a minute or two later she felt tentative fingers against her own on her leg. She looked over at him, and shy smiles passed between them before Hardy’s eyes reverted back to the road in front of them.

“This is nice,” she affirmed him, and he squeezed her hand. “Incredibly awkward, but nice.”

“You know me,” he commented drily, “Awkward’s my middle name.”

“No, I didn’t mean…” she trailed off. Then, “This is just strange, between us. Good, but weird, you know?”

He glanced over at her with a smirk. “You _are_ aware that you’re headed to a rather secluded beach with me, right? Just the two of us? It’s not going to get any less weird from here on out.”

Ellie felt herself blushing at the forthrightness of what he was alluding to, all those things that usually proceeded one another when two people liked each other, and was grateful for the cover of darkness. She was no stranger to this sort of thing, but with _him_ it just seemed like some tempting fruit, something almost forbidden for so long even though they had every right to be doing whatever they wanted together. The pure thrill of it, of actually being here, with him, in this situation, was sending adrenaline coursing through her system just as effectively as when she was questioning a suspect or trying to kill a large spider in her bathroom.

She turned towards him and raised her eyebrows in challenge. “I’m counting on it, Casanova.”

He took a deep breath in, and swallowed hard.

* * * * *

The patch of dirt barely counted as a place to park, but Hardy deftly pulled over to the side of the road and was around to her door almost before she’d got her seatbelt off.

“You really don’t have to do the door thing,” she smiled appreciatively as she pushed herself up and out, but he just smiled back and kept holding it open for her anyway.

A minute later they were weaving their way down a very narrow, winding track towards the ocean, and every time she dared to glance up Ellie could see the half moon glistening out above the water ahead of them. It was a beautiful and treacherous experience. Hardy was ahead of her, and he held her hand to help her down a few sudden drops in the pathway.

“So what does Tom think of all this?” he asked inquisitively, looking back over his shoulder at her.

Ellie grinned, even though she wasn’t sure if Hardy could see it. 

“Oh he likes you a whole lot,” she said. “He kind of cornered me after you left last night, wanting to know what was going on and when you could come for dinner again.”

“I’m glad,” he replied, as he stepped carefully down another drop in the path and extended his hand out to her.

“He offered to watch Fred right away when I mentioned about tonight,” she said, taking his hand and stepping down and close to him. The smell of sandalwood from that morning was still strong against him, and she wanted nothing more than to burrow her face up against his neck.

“Did he, now?” Hardy let out a rare chuckle. “Well, that’s a good sign, especially for a Friday night.”

“I know. It’s really nice not having to worry about what he thinks. He’s had a while to see how you are with me, and I’m sure that helps.”

He held onto her hand as they traversed the last few meters down to the beach, saying nothing more until their feet were on the sand and loose pebbles.

“I’ll be sure to thank him for trusting me with you,” he acknowledged. Then, “Let’s go this way.” 

Hardy pulled her towards the west, and they began walking hand-in-hand along the compact ground. Another couple passed them with a wave and a “hello,” and then disappeared off behind them. She could see a few more figures around, but nobody was close by as they sipped from their drink cups and continued on. She relished in the feel of his fingers around hers, and looked up to catch him watching her. He ducked his head quickly, but she caught the smile on his face and it stayed there for a good few minutes until he suddenly frowned.

“You’re right,” he announced.

“Of course I am. About what?”

“Put your cup down, smarty pants” he ordered, and she gave him a quizzical look but stopped and leaned over anyway to place her drink on the ground.

The second Ellie stood up, his warm hands were on either side of her face and she found herself staring deep into Hardy’s eyes. Her breath stuttered at the sight.

“Alec?” she asked, her words barely a whisper against the dark as he pressed his body against hers.

“You’re right, Ellie, about this being weird,” he whispered back, “So let’s just _do_ this.”

She met him halfway this time, oh so eager to feel more of him and not caring who else might wander by on that wide stretch of beach. His lips crashed down on hers, testing and tasting as she opened her mouth to him. One of her hands gripped at his collar as the other wound its way around to his back, pulling him impossibly closer as his tongue licked at her bottom lip. Her knees felt like they were going to buckle, and she marvelled at the energy pumping through her body.

It had never been like this before. Never. Not with Joe, not with school boyfriends, not with anyone except for this amazing, maddening man in front of her. She felt like some kind of wanton woman, so different from her usual organized, dignified, careful self, and it was liberating.

He plundered her mouth and she gave as good as she got back, completely engulfed with desire for this man and the overwhelming feelings he was pulling out of her mind and her body.

“Oh god,” she gasped, taking a moment to breathe. “Shit, Alec, I had no idea.”

“No idea of what?” he murmured against her ear, as his stubbly beard tickled her cheek. His let his teeth nip at her earlobe, and it was so intense that she almost pushed him away.

He looked at her shocked face and smirked. 

“Well this is a bit of an ego boost.”

“It had better bloody well be,” she sighed loudly, sinking back against him. “I don’t know what you’ve done to me, but this is just about the closest I’ve been to chancing a fine for public indecency. I blame you completely, by the way.”

“Happy to oblige, and… the feeling’s mutual on that too.” He nuzzled at her neck again, and she let her head fall to the side to give him better access.

Then she froze.

“What the -?” she hissed, and Hardy’s lips paused as he looked in the same direction as her.

There was a man running along the beach towards them with something large clutched under his arm, and a woman chasing him.

“Stop him!” They heard her yell, and the man glanced back at her and then at them and then doubled his efforts.

“Aw bloody hell,” Hardy sighed against her, and then they were both running to intercept him. Hardy tackled him around the legs, taking the man to the ground in a surprisingly smooth move, and Ellie sat herself down on the man’s back and pulled his wrists around towards her. Hardy managed to move out of the way and she noticed him clutching at his head as he stood to meet the panting woman who had finally caught up to them. After a brief conversation with her, he pulled out his phone and made a call and then returned to Ellie.

“Next time I’ll try for less entertainment.”

She nodded sombrely in agreement as they waited for on-duty police officers to show up.


	3. Chapter 3

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Tis the season to get sick. Sorry this took a while to get done. I hope the content makes up for it - I'd love to hear what you think :)

“He seriously just walked up to her and grabbed her purse?” Hardy winced as he bent over to dust sand from his pants.

“I know,” Ellie sighed, dusting sand off of the legs of her pants too. “Balls of steel, brain of straw that one.”

She watched as Hardy straightened up, and was at his side a moment later.

“You hurt yourself, didn’t you?”

“Nonsense. I’m from Scotland, I can rugby tackle with the best of them.”

“Your _head_ ,” she persisted, lifting her hand to touch his hair. He stood surprisingly still as she searched, and when he flinched she knew she’d found the spot. “Might have a concussion.”

“Nah.”

“We’re on a date, right?” she pressed. “I’ve kind of been watching you, you know.” She let her hands rest on his hips as she watched the flashing lights of the police cars in the distance at the top of the beach pathway.

“And what do you see?” he asked, suddenly taking more interest given her proximity.

“I see,” she said, turning to smile innocently up at him, “Someone who no way in hell is driving me home after smashing his head into the ground.”

One of her hands dipped down into his pockets, and she snatched the car keys before stepping back.

“Miller!” he protested loudly.

“Oh, back to Miller now are we?” she teased.

“It’s automatic when I’m angry,” he responded, gruffly.

"Is Daisy home?" 

"No." 

“Your choice then,” she continued, ignoring him. “Get checked out at the hospital or stay at mine tonight. I really don’t care, but you need someone checking in on you regularly.”

“Stay at yours?” he asked, concerned. “I don’t want to make -”

“I just want to make sure you’re okay,” she said, drawing closer to him once again, “You ready to head back to the car?”

“Can I get one more kiss first?” He shifted nervously and looked at her through downcast eyes.

“You, Alec Hardy,” she said, reaching up on tiptoes to plant a quick kiss on his lips, “are an unexpectedly mushy man.”

“Is that a good or bad thing?” he asked, suddenly self-conscious as he took her hand and turned towards the narrow pathway.

He caught the sparkle in her eyes as she glanced at him.

“I’m still holding your hand, aren’t I?”

* * * * *

The drive back to Ellie’s place passed largely in silence, although the warm hand on her thigh kept a smile on her face in spite of the worrying circumstances. After a quick stop at his place for some extra clothes, she was quick to try to help _him_ out of the car at her house and gave him a wry smile as she unlocked the front door.

“Tom’s home, remember. Let’s see how this plays out.”

He nodded, and followed her in.

“Mum, you’re home early,” sounded out from around the corner. “Everything okay?”

Tom appeared, video game controller in hand, and startled when he saw Hardy there alongside her.

“Hi Tom,” Hardy said, feeling suddenly guilty at what Tom must be thinking.

“Tom, we had a bit of a police incident and Alec royally whacked his head,” Ellie explained matter-of-factly. “We’re keeping him here tonight to make sure he’s alright.”

“Uh, okay.” Tom’s shoulders seemed to relax a bit, and then he smiled. “Hey, do you want to play?” he asked, waving his controller in Hardy’s direction.

“I think I need some ice, mate,” Hardy said gently. “And I’m technically still on a date with your mum. Maybe next time?”

“Sure.” Tom shrugged his shoulders and disappeared again.

“Kitchen,” Ellie said at his elbow, smiling, and soon she had him sitting on a chair with an ice pack against his head, and her seated across the table from him. She sighed and rested her chin on her hand.

“Not quite the first date I had planned either,” Hardy acknowledged quietly.

“Well, on the bright side,” she said, perking up for a second and giving him a suggestive look, “I do get to see you do the walk of shame tomorrow. That should be fun.”

“Oh shut it,” he said, re-adjusting the ice pack. “I think you’re secretly enjoying this entirely too much.”

Ellie drummed her fingers on the table for a moment, and then seemed to decide something.

“I’ll take the sofa. You can sleep in my bed.”

“Nonsense, I’ll take the sofa.”

He stood up and beckoned to her with his spare hand. She slid off of her seat slowly and walked the short distance over to him. An arm wrapped around her waist and drew her close, and she let out another sigh and dropped her head to rest against his shoulder.

He still smelled wonderful, in spite of his run-in with half the sand in Dorset. 

“I’m not bloody well sleeping in your bed without you there,” he whispered against her hair. “So let me take the sofa, and you can come down and check on me as often as you want and I promise I won’t complain.”

“Yeah right.”

“Fine,” he amended gruffly. “I promise I won’t complain _too_ much.”

Ellie drew back reluctantly and looked up at him. “Deal. I’ll get you a blanket and pillow.” His proximity and those damn gorgeous eyes threatened to draw her back in, but she was awfully aware of Tom in the next room so she just nodded once and slipped out of his grasp.

Hardy found Tom in front of the TV and sat down on the sofa next to him.

“Do you mind pausing that for a sec?” he asked, and Tom gave him a broad smile and pressed a few buttons before the game stopped.

“What’s up? Did you change your mind?”

“No…,” Hardy drew out, trying to think of how he wanted to say things. “It’s just that, erm, my head is still sore and I’m going to be sleeping here,” he said, pointing down at the sofa, “tonight, and I’m hoping you don’t mind if I kick you off it in a bit.”

Tom cocked his head sideways and looked at him, confusion clear in his face.

“Why don’t you just sleep in mum’s bed with her?”

Hardy was horrified to feel himself blushing, and he stammered a bit before finding his words.

“Tom, you know this was our first date, right? And barely an hour of it, if that?” he asked, and Tom nodded.

“Yeah. So?”

He remembered how Ellie had told him about Tom’s issue with porn on his phone a while ago, and he took a deep breath.

“I know you probably see a lot of stuff at school and on the internet about how guys and girls hook up….”

Tom nodded, his eyes now staring at his feet.

“Tom,” he said sincerely, and Tom slowly raised his eyes to meet Hardy’s. “Tom, when you care about someone as much as I care about your mum, you don’t rush things. You talk, you make sure you’re both on the same page about things before making decisions like that.”

Tom nodded again, and a shy but appreciative smile appeared on his face.

“Right, one blanket and pillow coming up!” Ellie announced as she bustled through the doorway, and Tom and Hardy gave each other a knowing look before Tom stood up to switch his various pieces of electronics off.

“Thanks Tom,” she said, and he gave her an unexpected hug before heading up the stairs.

“I wonder what that was for,” she mused, as Hardy arranged the bedding to his liking and rolled up his shirtsleeves.

Then he crossed his arms in front of him.

“Just how much of that did you hear?”

Ellie’s eyes were big as headlights, but she kept her mouth sealed shut.

“You heard the whole thing, didn’t you?”

She pursed her lips, and gave him a quizzical look.

“So, you’re telling me,” she began, “That if I’d arrived at _your_ house tonight in some little lacy number, you would have stopped to talk and discuss things?”

“You would never do that,” he groused.

“Is that a challenge?” she asked, eyebrows raised up high.

“ _Miller_ , I was trying to give your hormonal, impressionable son some good advice, is all.”

“I know,” she sighed. “Just had to check though, didn’t I? You still didn’t answer, by the way.”

Hardy drew in a deep breath.

“There would probably have been very little talking,” he admitted carefully. He shifted uncomfortably, feeling a bit flustered at the image that was stuck in his head.

“What about the other part?” she asked, more quietly.

“What other part?”

“The part where you told him that you care a lot for me,” she noted, with a shy smile. “That was sweet.”

“Aww Miller, come _on_ , give me and my poor head a break.” He tried to brush it off, but something inside him felt warm and fuzzy, and he knew he only had the woman in front of him to thank or blame for it.

“Sorry. Just, well, it was.” She moved closer. “And now I’m going to bed before I say anything else that will embarrass one of us.”

He took a step towards her. “I’ll see you in a few hours, then?”

She shuffled forward a bit more. “Yep.”

“I look forward to it.”

He closed the remained of the gap between them, and they stood there watching each other for a moment.

“Thanks for tonight. For the before part, I mean. I had a really great time.” Ellie reached out a hand and he automatically wrapped her smaller fingers in his larger ones.

“Me too.” He leaned forward to rest his forehead against hers, and then dipped his head forward and captured her lips in a gentle kiss before pulling back regretfully.

He watched her eyes sparkle in the dim light, and couldn’t help the ear-to-ear grin that spread over his face.

“It’s nice seeing you smile,” she said quietly, with a matching smile of her own. Then she turned and let their fingers slip apart as she withdrew from the room. He could hear her soft tread up the stairs, and then the distant sound s of a door closing and floorboards creaking.

* * * * *

Ellie woke up with a start a few hours later, and promptly grinned.

Hardy was downstairs. Alec Hardy, shitface and adorable grumpy skinny man, was asleep on her sofa. She mentally added _and bloody good kisser_ to her list, and idly wondered what he was wearing. She smoothed down her own very form-covering pyjama top and bottom, used the loo quickly, and crept down the stairs.

The lump on the sofa was facing away from her as she entered the room, and she took a minute to watch him sleep. Tousled brown hair, t-shirt, _no snoring_ she noted with relief, one foot sticking out from under the blanket on the far end… she’d watched her sons like this countless times, peaceful and calm, and it was strangely thrilling to get to see Hardy this way.

 _Alec_ , she reminded herself, but then thought that perhaps it really was interchangeable now.

“Hmmmm?” The lump on the sofa turned over slightly, and she realized she must have said his name out loud.

“Hi,” she said, moving closer and watching his face as one and then two eyes opened and focused on her. “Just here to check on you,” she reminded him.

An arm reached out and grabbed hold of her waist, pulling her down onto the edge of the sofa, and she let out a small shriek of surprise.

“That’s better.” The amused look on his face soon eased the shocked one on hers, but he didn’t let go. In fact, he pulled her closer, scooting over and pulling her down half on top of and half next to him which prompted another protest.

“I’m here to check on you, not to be seduced on a sofa at 2am.” Ellie’s voice was reproachful, but her hand had latched onto his body somewhere between where his shirt ended and his pants began, and she found that she wasn’t really inclined to let go after all.

He was warm. Warm, and surprisingly soft, and just the right amount of hairy if her wandering hand was anything to go by. Her fingers drifted across his belly button and she stopped, suddenly aware of where her fingers were and of the dark eyes that were locked onto her. She didn’t dare meet them.

“You sure about that?” he asked, only half teasing as her hand moved up a bit and met the swift and strong staccato rhythm of his heartbeat.

“No.” Her voice was soft, and wistful in the way that it can only be when one wants something one can’t have. The dam wall really had broken on this whole thing, she mused. It seem that, since allowing herself - _really_ allowing herself - to think about Hardy in a romantic way, to kissing him, to being kissed senseless on the beach, to having her hand on his chest… all she could think about was exploring him more.

He cleared his throat nervously, and she felt his hand sneak around her waist and come to rest under her pyjama top at the small of her back.

“Erm, Daisy’s with her mum the whole weekend,” he admitted. “I don’t know what plans you have tonight, but we could get together again if you want?”

There was no pressure, but clear implication and invitation in his tone and words. Ellie felt herself warming, blushing as her pulse raced and her breath caught in her lungs. The answer was yes, of course, but a part of her was still stuck on _having sex with Hardy_ and it made her smirk and shiver all at the same time.

“You haven’t even bought me dinner yet,” she teased, finally relaxing into him and snuggling up against his chest and neck like she’d wanted to do all evening. His hand pulled her closer, and his fingers stroked lightly along her lower back in a way that made her tingle all over.

“Oh we are _absolutely_ doing dinner,” he emphasized. “So long as it’s nowhere near the beach.”

She listened to the rumble of his voice through his chest, and closed her eyes.

“So is that a yes, then?” he asked a minute later, and Ellie realized she had started drifting off in spite of her body’s reaction to him. 

“Yes.”

She kissed his neck and then his cheek, and he turned his head to capture her lips with his. It was slow and unhurried this time, full of subdued desire and emotion that didn’t need words. She felt herself clinging helplessly to him, immersed in the feel and touch of his lips and tongue and hands which had moved up her sides and were tracing dangerous patterns along her ribcage. She didn’t want to stop, wanted _more_ , wanted to indulge herself in this man who had captivated her in the worst and best ways for so long.

 _He_ was the one who pulled away in the end, breaking their kiss and forcing his hands to still on her hips. She met his eyes then, deep and dark with longing in the low light, and watched in fascination as his fast breathing mirrored hers.

He sucked in a deep breath, and lifted a hand to push a stray section of hair behind her ear.

“You, Miller, are trouble,” he sighed out fondly. One hand let go of her and moved the blanket so it was covering both of them, and she settled on his chest again.

“Right you are,” she quipped back at him. His heart was loud and she could feel the tap-tap-tapping of the beat as her fingers traced his pacemaker scar thoughtfully. She felt awfully comfy, practically cocooned against him and the sofa and the blanket, and her thoughts started to drift off again in spite of her body’s arousal. She knew she should get up and head back to bed, but just one more minute wouldn’t hurt.

* * * * *

There was an insistent prodding at her side, and she heard Hardy mumble something sleepily from next to her. 

“Mum! Alec!”

The excited voice jolted her awake, and she bolted out of Hardy’s arms bleary-eyed and in shock to see Fred standing happily next to the sofa. Bright sunlight was streaming through the windows, and she could hear someone – Tom, presumably – pottering around in the kitchen.

 _Bugger_ , she sighed. _So much for not sleeping together._ She put on her calmest façade, took a deep breath, and smiled at Fred.

“Good morning sweetheart.” She opened her arms and the little boy pressed up against her with a big hug. She was soon pushed aside, however, as Fred withdrew and persisted in looking behind her.

“I want to hug Alec too,” he said in his sing-song voice, and she turned to watch as Hardy enveloped him in a hug as well. He grinned at her as he did so, and she couldn’t help but smile tenderly at the sight. It really couldn’t possibly be better. Fred was mad about Alec and Alec was obviously attached to him too. Tom liked him a whole lot, and –

 _Tom. Shit._ All that talk last night from Hardy and there they were in the morning anyway, albeit fully clothed and with nothing to be ashamed of.

She left the two of them to their hug-fest and made her way to the kitchen, where Tom seemed to be involved with toast and eggs and a number of other things. He’d never seemed interested in cooking before, so this was new.

“Oh hey, mum,” he said, flashing Ellie a smile when he noticed her. “I’m just making some breakfast for all of us.”

“That sounds wonderful.” She moved closer, wondering how to broach the whole them-on-the-sofa thing. She was pretty sure he’d seen. “Do you need any help?”

“No, I’m fine thanks.” He put a frying pan on the stove and cracked a few eggs into it.

She leaned up against the counter and steadied herself mentally.

“I came down to check on Alec during the night, to make sure he was okay,” she said, “and I kind of fell asleep next to him.”

“I know. I saw when I came downstairs,” he replied nonchalantly, before turning to her. “You really don’t have to explain, mum. I know what he said last night, about caring for you and stuff, and you both _would_ have been more comfortable in your bed. You know, for sleeping.”

 _For sleeping. Right._ She knew exactly where their 2am interlude would have ended up if they’d been in her bed. Part of her wished it had been that way, but a bigger part of her was glad for how things had worked out. They would have time tonight, _not_ on their first date and without the worry of kids interrupting them.

Alec and Fred stumbled into the kitchen just then, hand-in-hand, and her heart just about melted. Both had serious bed-head, and she was relieved to see that Hardy was wearing pyjama pants along with his t-shirt. She hadn’t quite dared to let her hands wonder south last night, but didn’t think he’d have spent the night on someone’s sofa in only his underpants.

She smiled broadly at both of them. 

“Who’s hungry?”

* * * * *

Forty minutes later they were fed, dishes were washed, and Hardy had put some proper pants on and had packed up his small bundle of clothes. She met him at the front door, and dangled the car keys between them.

“You feeling okay?” she asked, seriously enough that he knew she meant business.

“I’m _fine_ , Miller. Ellie,” he corrected, and she dropped the keys into his waiting hand.

“So,” she asked, leaning back against the wall, “Plans for today?”

He regarded her for a minute, the corner his mouth up-turned in a half smile, and then he advanced on her until they were scant millimetres apart.

“I have this hot date tonight,” he said, raising his eyebrows suggestively at her, “and I have to tidy my place so she doesn’t think I’m a total pig.” His hands trailed down her sides to land on her hips, and she grinned saucily up at him.

“Have you seen _her_ place?” Ellie asked jokingly. “I bet it’s a right mess.”

“Kids,” he sighed out loud. “Making perfectly decent places a disaster since the dawn of time.”

She lifted her face up to him and kissed him chastely.

“This is so weird, still, saying this to you,” she conceded, “but I can’t wait to see you again.”

“Me too,” he said, his voice suddenly husky with emotion. “You have me absolutely entranced, Ellie Miller.” He dipped down to kiss her, and pulled away quickly. “And now I really must go or I’ll never leave.”

“You and your way with words - I never expected it,” she said, pursing her mouth thoughtfully with a smug grin.

“Mention them at work,” he threatened lightly, “and the words stop. I have a shitface reputation to uphold.”

She made a zippering motion across her mouth, and he kissed her again, soundly in spite of the chance of the boys appearing at any moment. He pulled back when they were quite thoroughly out of breath, and reluctantly opened the door.

“Can I pick you up at six?” Hardy asked.

“Yes. Can’t wait.” She didn’t move from the wall, still inundated with thoughts and feelings around the kiss they’d just shared and how brazen they’d been about it.

“See you later, El.”

And with that he was gone, down the pathway alongside her house and out to his car.

 _El._ She liked that even more than Ellie, coming from his mouth.

The smile on her face, along with thoughts of that mouth, stayed with her though the rest of the day. And if she looked strange grocery shopping with a loopy grin on her face, who cared?


	4. Chapter 4

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This is the chapter that earned this fic its M rating :) If I write stuff like this it usually ends up being more explicit, so it was a (nice?) challenge to write the scenes without getting into quite as much detail.

The call came shortly after 3pm – an armed robbery at a grocery store on the outskirts of town - and Ellie shut herself in her bedroom and swore a blue streak for a full twenty seconds before pulling herself together and calling Hardy.

“I’m picking you up in ten minutes,” she announced without preamble when he answered the phone. “Your place is on the way.” 

“Bloody work,” he grumbled supportively.

“Yeah.”

She stuffed a change of clothes for herself into a bag and into her car’s boot, and was able to get Fred off to Beth’s early and Tom off to his friend’s house as well before pulling up, already exhausted, at Hardy’s place. He was ready and waiting, suit and tie and frown in place, but the frown eased as he opened the passenger door and slid into the seat, and leaned over to kiss her quickly.

“Hi,” he murmured against her ear.

“Hi,” she responded, suddenly shy but relishing in the newness of this _thing_ between them. Then she remembered what they were supposed to be doing, and she started the car and had put it in drive before Hardy had even got his seatbelt on.

* * * * *

They spent the next two hours quite literally roaming the hillsides north of Broadchurch, searching for the suspect, and it was an exhausted pair that eventually made it back to Hardy’s house that evening.

“You brought stuff?” Hardy asked, almost in surprise, as she rummaged in her boot before pulling out a backpack and slinging it over her shoulder.

“I wasn’t about to head back to mine,” Ellie responded, “And I’m not spending the rest of the night in work clothes.”

He gave her a once-over, taking in the grass stains and mud splatters all the way up to her face, where flecks of hay had somehow got caught up in her curls.

She smirked. “I would ask if you saw something you liked,” she teased, “but if I look anything like you do then it might be a bit of a stretch.”

“Oh I don’t know about that,” he said, taking a step closer and fondly pulling a few pieces from her hair. “There’s something inherently appealing about a woman who doesn’t mind getting down and dirty like we just did.” His soulful brown eyes bored into hers, and Ellie had to shake her head to try and focus on the task at hand.

“Save the sweet talk for later,” she insisted, a little more breathlessly than she would have liked. “This dirty girl desperately wants to get clean.” And when his eyebrows raised up, she quickly added, “By herself.”

Hardy made quick work of unlocking the front door, and ten minutes later she was scrubbed and shampooed and clad in a fitted deep green jumper and a comfortable pair of jeans. She found Hardy in the kitchen, shirt unbuttoned, and poring over a stack of take-away menus.

Elli let her hand glide around his lower back as she walked up next to him, and he smiled as he took in her loose hair and fresh-faced appearance.

“I know I promised you dinner but I just can’t bear to get back in the car and –”

“It’s fine,” she shushed him with a finger to his lips. “What are our options?”

“Your choice,” he said, as her fingers snuck onto his chest and his breath hitched in his lungs. “ _I_ still need to shower, remember?” he reminded her, even as he wrapped his arms around her waist and pulled her closer.

“I know.” Her eyes didn’t leave his. “Better get going then.”

“Yep. On my way.” He let a hand slide under the hem of her jumper and his fingers splayed across the warm skin of her lower back.

“Tease.”

“Oh you’re one to speak, you started it.” 

They smiled at each other, and the tension was broken even if the longing was still there. He finally pulled back, giving her a look that sent pleasant shivers down her spine.

“Order food. I’ll be back soon.”

And with that he was gone, around the corner and presumably stripping off his clothes. Ellie gave her head a shake and did her best to get that image out of her head as she scanned the takeaway menus.

* * * * * 

“Oh god!”

Soft but firm hand landed on her hips, surprising the hell out of Ellie. She had been vaguely aware of the shower shutting off several minutes ago, but she hadn’t heard Hardy padding barefoot up behind her. She tried to turn around, but he held her still as she faced the counter.

“What did you order?” His voice was low next to her ear, and she shifted as goosebumps broke out along her arms and legs. He nuzzled at the side of her neck and down along her shoulder, pushing her jumper aside as his damp hair and stubble brushing tantalizingly against her skin.

This man would be her complete undoing, she just knew it. The thought both terrified and thrilled her.

“Scottish, apparently,” Ellie managed to get out, her voice thick as his mouth blazed a trail back to her neck. He chuckled and hand moved from her hips, sliding forward under her jumper and against the soft skin of her stomach. A long finger trailed horizontally, dipping just under the waistband of her jeans, and she drew in a sharp breath. It was almost too much already, and Alec Hardy was barely touching her.

“This okay?” he asked softly, and she nodded slightly in permission as he pressed her more firmly against the counter and let his other hand slip under her clothing too. This one travelled upwards, and she turned her head to the side, towards him, as her breath caught in her lungs. She was desperate to look at him, to feel more of him, and he must have sensed it because his lips left her neck and crept along her jaw, finally landing on her own. The angle would have been awkward but he was tall enough, and it worked gloriously. He plundered her mouth, leaving her gasping for breath and not wanting to breathe at the same time, not wanting to miss a second of it all.

She was hazily aware of both his hands skimming along her ribcage, tracing the bottom line of her bra, and then his hands were cupping her breasts. Deft fingers pushed down the thin material and kept exploring, and she pushed back against him as jolts of pleasure shot straight to her core. She could feel his erection as he pressed his hips against her in return, and it made her cheeks blush even more pink.

“Still okay?” His lips retreated ever-so-slightly and she knew his dark eyes matched her own as she gazed at him for a second.

“It’s fine. It’s all good, all very, very good.”

“So, shut up?”

“Yeah.”

He grinned at her, and at that moment there was a loud rapping at the door.

“Shit!” He dropped his hands to her hips, squeezed them once, and let go. “Don’t go anywhere,” he ordered, before disappearing into the living room. 

She turned around slowly as she heard the sound of the door opening, followed surprisingly quickly by the door closing, and then a loud thump as their dinner was presumably dropped onto the floor. It was followed by the rustling sound of curtains being closed, and then Hardy was back and pressed up against her once more… only this time she could actually see him.

“You moved,” he mock-complained.

“I didn’t _go_ anywhere. And besides, you can’t have all the fun.”

She didn’t think she’d ever seen him smile so much, and it would have been disconcerting if it were any other sort of situation.

“You hungry?” he asked.

“Dinner can wait.”

“Good.”

Hardy pulled the jumper over Ellie’s head and she returned the favour on the well-worn Pink Floyd t-shirt he was wearing. Then their mouths met again, battling almost feverishly as she reached around to cup his arse and his hands made quick work of her bra. His mouth trailed south along her neck once more, and she could feel his erection pushing against her core this time and she wanted _more_.

“Bedroom?” came a muffled query from somewhere near her collarbone.

She pushed him backwards in answer, back towards the darkness of the hallway behind them. His lips sought out hers again as they staggered along, bumping into first one side wall then the other. She managed the get his belt buckle undone in the process, and he popped the top button of her jeans and worked the zipper down.

Hardy pulled her in through a doorway, and she barely had time to take in the muted surroundings of his grey-toned bedroom before the back of her knees hit his bed and he was pressing her gently down onto it. His lips were on her breasts in an instant, teasing and nipping at her, and she involuntarily arched up and into him with a gasp. Then she pushed him away.

“Wha-”

“Pants… off!” she urged, as she pushed at his jeans and underwear until they slid further down Hardy’s legs. He shimmied them off as he tugged at her pants in return, and in a matter of seconds they were naked and eyeing each other up. 

“God, you’re beautiful,” Hardy exclaimed, as he raked his eyes over the length of her body laid before him.

“I know that’s partly hormones talking, but I’ll take it,” Ellie said, giving him a wry smile.. 

“It’s not,” he insisted, with a kiss to her stomach. “I just should have told you sooner.”

“You can tell me again later, too, then.” 

She let her hands trail down the smoothness of his back, over his tight butt cheeks, and around to the front. She ran a tentative hand along his erection, and then stroked another few times in earnest as Hardy’s head dropped with a sigh of pleasure.

“Better stop that,” he cautioned a few seconds later, with a shy smile up at her. She blushed in return, smiling back as she moved her fingers to his sides.

The moment she let go he braced himself above her, and his lips were back on hers. One of his hands moved intently over her belly and past her hips, and soon his fingers were playing at the apex of her thighs and caressing and delving into places that made her sigh and cry out. His lips moved to her breasts for a while and back again to her mouth, his tongue somehow keeping up a tandem rhythm with his fingers as they drew increasing pleasure out of her. It was mere minutes later that Ellie was keening and arching up towards him, desperate for more pressure, and he couldn’t help but grin into the kiss they were sharing.

“Alec, you basta-- oh god.” Ellie groaned against his lips, grabbing at his back with one of her hands as the growing ball of energy inside her threatened to burst. And then she was pulling him to herself, gasping out a string of swear words as his fingers drew a powerful orgasm out of her shaking body. He kissed her down out of it, through the fog and into the blissful haze that followed.

He slowly disentangled his hand from the warmth of her and reached it up to cup her face. Her eyes were still closed as he gazed – completely enthralled - at her for a moment, then let his forehead rest against hers.

“That was _bloody_ brilliant,” Ellie murmured, her breath tickling softly against his cheek.

“Aye,” he responded in kind, and he dropped his lips to hers for a quick kiss. She kissed him back, though, and when his eyes opened in surprise he saw her watching him. Their eyes held, and he slowly lowered his body until it was covering hers from head to toe. An encouraging hand to his arse made him blink, and he ground down against her with a moan.

“ _Please…_ ” she whispered against his open lips.

“Isn’t that supposed to be my line?” The corner of his mouth quirked up as he kissed her again, then he nuzzled against her neck and rocked against her once more.

“Alec, I need –”

“Shhhh,” he whispered at her ear, his voice both calming and arousing at the same time. “I know. Me too.”

He moved slightly, let his other knee slip between her thighs, and pushed forward carefully. Ellie could feel him _right there_ , could feel him moving inside her, and she thrilled at the knowledge that this was _him_ and _her_ doing _this_. Their eyes met once more, and the fire and passion in his made her breath catch in her throat. It was all for her, all because of her. It was humbling.  


“Ellie,” he breathed out, her name a low guttural sound as he began moving with her. She hooked a leg behind his arse, getting impossibly closer. His thrusts were strong, bringing them together over and over, and she was certain that she’d never felt such emotional intensity as she did at the moment when he finally let out a strangled cry of release against her shoulder.

He held still for a few seconds, and then cradled her in his arms with a sigh. She chuckled underneath him, the vibrations earning her a mock glare from one half-closed eye.

“What?” he grumbled, and he ran his beard along the sensitive skin of her neck for good measure.

“You’re just cute, is all.” She gazed up at him fondly.

The glare this time was a bit more real. “We have sex and all you can say is I’m _cute_? Nothin’ about me is _cute_ ,” he threatened, as his fingers inched down her sides. “Pick a different verb.” Then it was all-out war as he tickled her, and Ellie grabbed a pillow from behind in self-defence and whacked at him with that, and suddenly they rolled off the bed and landed in a heap on the floor. He kissed the hell out of her again until they were both panting.

“Damn, Miller,” he gasped out, and kissed her once more because he could.

Her stomach chose that moment to growl loudly in response, and her hand flew up to her mouth in embarrassment.

“Sorry!” she stuttered, with a smile.

“Now who’s _cute_?” he teased, as he stood and helped her to her feet. “Let’s put something on and go heat up that food.”

* * * * *

Ten minutes later they were shoulder-to-shoulder on the sofa, clad in mismatched comfy robes of Hardy’s, with steaming plates of food on their laps. Ellie pretty much attacked her dinner with her fork, while Hardy seemed content to pick slowly at his while simultaneously running a hand along her thigh. There was little conversation, although a few shy smiles passed between the two when someone caught the other staring at them.

“I think I’ve got it figured out,” Ellie exclaimed, as she set her empty plate on the floor mere minutes later.

“What?” Hardy asked around a mouthful of food.

“The difference.”

“What difference?” His forehead was creased now, and he looked like he would rather be chewing than trying to figure out whatever Ellie was on about.

“You, you knob.” She smiled gleefully and patted him on the knee. “I asked you what you’d done with Alec Hardy… and I figured it out.”

“Well, please,” he said, motioning with his arm to the empty room, “Regale us with your findings.”

She swatted playfully at his shoulder. “Your broody bullshit shtick, your shitface reputation, your grumpy tortured angst thing… it’s not really you, is it? I mean,” she went on, “I figured out that _that_ wasn’t really you a long time ago, but now I think I’ve figure out what’s changed since, well, this.” She motioned between the two of them.

He stared at her with raised eyebrows, waiting expectantly.

“You’re actually a cuddler, aren’t you?” 

Hardy looked horrified.

“No, no, you are,” she insisted, and she placed her hand on top of his one that was still on her thigh. “You thrive on touch. You actually _really like_ kissing, and hugging, and you pretty much haven’t let your hands off me since you picked me up last night.”

He waggled his eyebrows at her, and she swatted at him again.

“Oh shut up, that’s not what I mean. I mean that you haven’t had that for so long and now that you have it, it’s bringing the full, real you back. _That’s_ the difference.”

“The difference, Ellie,” he said, as he placed his plate on the floor, “Is that it’s with _you._ ”

She reddened slightly, and looked like she wanted to say something dismissive, but he carried on.

“You know I don’t let people in easily, but you’ve been working your way into my heart for years now and it’s all you. It’s only you.”

Her mouth hung open slightly at his admission, but she finally managed to gather herself together.

“ _Someone_ had to chisel away at that wall,” she noted quietly.

He gathered her hands in his, and looked sincerely at her.

“Thank you, El.”

She swiped at a stray tear that suddenly appeared at the corner of her eye.

“You weren’t the only one who needed saving, in the end,” she admitted, and wiped at her other eye.

“I know.” 

She let out a nervous laugh. “Wow, this got really serious, real quickly.”

“It’s always been that way with us, though, hasn’t it?” he reflected, pulling her against him so her head rested on his shoulder. “Intent, intense, insane.”

“Incorrigible,” she added, and turned towards him with a grin.

He leaned forward and kissed her soundly, and let his hand trail back down to her leg and under her robe.

“In more ways than one right now, apparently,” he murmured against her lips. 

Her gratefulness at Hardy’s foresight to close the curtains was Ellie Miller’s last fully coherent thought for a while.

* * * * *

He woke in the early hours of the morning to an empty bed. After a moment of panic - which he would never admit to - he reached across and could feel lingering warmth against the sheets on her side. Then he spied Ellie’s clothes still strewn about the room, and breathed deeply. 

She was still here.

Good.

He got quietly out of bed, pulled on some underwear, wrapped his robe around him, and went in search of her.

A slight breeze drew him to the living room, where he spotted the lone figure sitting on the steps outside. The door was slightly ajar, so he padded over and slipped outside.

“Hey,” he greeted her quietly, so as not to frighten her. Ellie motioned for him to join her so he did, grateful for the layers of warmth between him and the cold stone underneath.

“Hi yourself,” she smiled over. He noticed that she was cradling a mug of tea in her hands, and she offered it towards him. “I made it strong, how you like it,” she said, and he chuckled appreciatively.

“No, I’m good. Just wanted to check you were okay.”

“Thanks.” She leaned sideways against him. “That’s sweet of you. I’m fine, just thinking.”

He wrapped an arm around her and held her close.

“Anything in particular? Good? Bad?” He tried to hide the concern in his voice, but the uncertainty came through anyway.

“Just processing all of this, really,” she reassured him. “Nothing bad. And tea always helps.”

“Of course,” he agreed, smiling once more. 

“Still think I’m beautiful,” she egged him on, “Dragging you out here at this ungodly hour?”

“You’ll always be beautiful to me.” 

The depth of feeling in his voice made her pause and turn to look at him, and he shrugged almost helplessly. 

“I love you, Ellie. And you’re beautiful if you’re covered in mud after trekking through the hills or wearing my robe at 3am.”

“Damnit.” She wiped at her eyes with both hands and looked like she was considering blowing her nose on the robe she was wearing.

“Sorry-”

“No, no,” she interrupted him, sniffing loudly and grasping one of his hands firmly in hers. “I love you too, Alec. Just didn’t really expect…” she paused, considering. “Well, I guess I didn’t really expect any of the past three days, really. It’s a lot, but good.”

His brow creased in consternation. “I’m not leaving you out here to process _that_ for another hour,” he insisted affectionately. “Come back to bed. You can overthink things tomorrow.”

She looked at him, amused and confused. “How do you suddenly know all the right things to say?”

He leaned forward to plant a kiss on her forehead, and smiled.

* * * * *

True to her suspicions, Alec Hardy was a right old cuddler, and Ellie slept soundly in his arms for several more hours. When she finally woke up, it was to the smell of bacon wafting through from the kitchen. She made her way to the bathroom and washed her face, then pulled on some clean clothes and made her still-bleary-eyed way through the house to join him.

“Morning!” he greeted her, and she gave him a quick kiss before peering around him at the stovetop. 

“Mmmmmm, looks delicious,” she commented, before spotting the coffee machine in one corner of the counter and making a beeline for it.

“Sleep well?” Hardy asked from across the way, and she turned and grinned mischievously at him. He practically beamed back at her.

The sound of the front door opening had them both freezing, and then a loud “Hey, Dad!” sounded from the living room. It was quickly followed by, “Something smells good.”

Hardy’s eyes went as big as saucers as he looked across at Ellie, and she took a deep breath in as Daisy suddenly appeared in the kitchen.

“Hi Ellie,” Daisy greeted her nonchalantly. “Saw your car outside and figured you were here.”

“I thought you were-” Hardy stammered, at a loss for words.

She grinned at him. “Caught the first train back. Your phone was still off so I took a taxi over. Don’t let me interrupt.” She smiled and winked at them over her shoulder as she picked up her bag and moved towards the hallway.

“Well, shit,” Hardy exclaimed, as soon as she had rounded the corner into her room.

Ellie sidled up to him and kissed him on the cheek.

“You know what else is cute?” she asked, and he rolled her eyes at her. “You when you’re embarrassed.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'd love to hear what you think about this fic so far!


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